Being Judged?

Ava's heart hammered so hard against her chest she thought it might jump out. Why didn't he want to go on with the deal anymore? Did she do or say something wrong to offend him? Or doesn't he like her?

"I'm sorry, but why don't you want to go on with the deal anymore?" Ava asked in a shaky voice.

With his eyes still on hers, Mason picked his glass of water and took a sip before placing it back on the table. He didn't say a word. He just kept observing her.

"Was it something I said?" She looked down at her dress, or doesn't he like the dress she wore? Maddison had asked her to put on something else, a brighter color, instead of the black dress that she chose. But Ava doesn't have many clothes, it was either this dress or the red dinner gown Maddison had offered her, and because it was Valentine's day, she didn't want to appear like she was dressed in red because of Valentine, because she wasn't.

"Mr. Mason I__,"

"Why don't you tell me why you are doing this?" Mason asked, interrupting her.

The agency told her the client wasn't going to do any probing about her life, and neither was she supposed to do so about his. She didn't think she heard him well, so she asked, "you want to know my reason for doing this?"

Why would he ask her such a question?

"Yes, please, I can't fathom why a girl like you would want to sell your virginity. So tell me why you are doing this," Mason asked. He still had his eyes on her.

What does he mean by a girl like her? What was that supposed to mean?

"If I tell you the reason I'm doing this, will you still go on with the plan?" Ava asked him.

"Maybe," Mason said.

"Maybe? Are you having second thoughts about this, Mr Mason?"

"Am I not allowed to? The last time I checked, the contract stated that I could pull out if I wanted," Mason said.

Ava knew he was right, so long he hadn't slept with her, he could pull out of the deal if he wanted.

"So, are you going to answer my question?"

Ava straightened her head as she said, "for the money."

She is beautiful. Mason thought to himself as he stared at her, what type of money problem could she be in that would make her need that amount of money? Was she in debt? Or was she trying to pay off her student loans? The more he looked into her big brown eyes, the more he wanted to look at them. He tried to get to know her more and her valid reason for doing this.

"And what type of girl sells her virginity to a man she knows nothing about, all for money?" Mason asked her. He saw anger flash through her eyes that instant.

"Are you judging me? I'm sorry, but what type of a guy chooses to buy a woman's virginity?" Ava blotted out in anger before she got the chance to stop herself.

Okay, she isn't as calm as she seemed. Mason leaned back on his seat, "please tell me the type of man that you think that I am," he asked. He was beginning to enjoy this.

"I...., I'm so….. sorry Mr. Mason, I didn't mean...."

"I didn't ask for an apology," Mason said.

"I shouldn't have said that I wasn't ___."

"Thinking?" Mason finished her statement for her.

"Mr. Mason, if you don't want to go on with this, I will have to refund you__,"

"Stand up," Mason said. His tone was commanding.

"What?" Ava asked. He was going to kick her out. What has she done to herself? How could she ruin such a golden opportunity with her rudeness? How was she supposed to pay back Robinson his money?

Mason glanced at his wristwatch, "I don't have all evening Miss," he said.

Ava quickly got up on her feet, "I'm sorry, I never meant to disrespect you, I was__."

"Here, go to room 106 and wait for me there," Mason said as he handed her his hotel key card.

So he was going to go on with it, after all, thank God! With a shaky hand, Ava collected the key from him.

As she headed towards the elevator to take her to the room, Ava could feel Mason's eyes on her. He was probably checking her out. Did he like what he saw? What made him change his mind? Not that it mattered, all Ava cared about was that he paid her at the end of the day. He was good-looking, so having sex with him won't be so bad.

When Ava got to the room number that Mason had told her, she slipped the key card into the door, and it opened into a large beautiful room that had a fantastic view over the city with a king-sized bed.

As she looked at the large bed in the room, she tried not to think of the things that Mason was going to do to her body on that bed. Under a different circumstance, probably if she was on vacation and this was her room, she would have been happy to be in such a nice room. Right now, she felt like a lamb about to be slaughtered.

"Breath Ava, it's just sex," she said to herself. Every other girl does it all the time. She should be able to do it too.

"Eyes on the prize Ava, eyes on the prize," she muttered to herself.

"Let me know when you are done."

Ava jumped at Mason's voice. She turned and saw him standing at the door. How come she didn't hear him get in? How long has he been standing there?

Mason walked over to the bed and sat down at the edge, "let me know when you are ready," he said.

"I'm ready," Ava said, even if she didn't know what she was ready for.

"Strip," Mason said.